Means for removing stockings from forms.



H. COULSTON' & W. M. SCHWARTZ.

MEANS FOR REMOVING STOCKINGS FROM FORMS.

APPLTCATION FILED 0502s. 1913.

1,141,778. Patented June 1', 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

'7HE NORRIS PETERS Cow. F'HOTC-LITHO. WASHINGTON. DY Lv H. CDULSTON & W. M. SCHWARTZ. MEANS FOR REMOVING STOCKINGS FROM FORMS. APPLICATION men 05c. 26. 1913/ Patented June 1, 1915.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

jwenifara- H2173 60112.57)? Wall s? Sofia/aft? @Zkez'r/Zi'iarngra M f M PHOTO-I.ITHO.. WASHINGTON n r 1H5 NORRIS PETERS CO H. COULSTON & W. M. SCHWARTZ.

MEANS FOR REMOVING STOCKINGS FROM FORMS.

APPLICATION FILED 05c, 26. 1913.

1,141,778. Patented June 1, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 7H1; NORRIS PETERs'co. FH'JTC'LITHO" WASHINGTON. n c,

H. COULSTON & W. M. SCHWARTZ. MEANS FOR REMOVING STOCKINGS FROM FORMSx APPLICATION FILED DEC.20. I913- 1,141,778. Patented June 1, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 W f v W g r zw% HIE NORRIS PETERS C0 PHOTO I'JTHO. WASHINGION.

imirnn srnrns PATENT onnicn.

HARRY GOULS'I'ON AND WALTER M. SCHWARTZ, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGN'ORS TO THE PHILADELPHIA TEXTILE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PHILA- DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

MELANS FOR REMOVING STOCKINGS FROM FORMS.

Application filed December 26, 1913.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY CoULsToN and WALTER M. SCHWARTZ, citizens of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain-Improvements in Means for Removing Stockings from Forms, of which the following is a specification. Y

The object of our invention is to provide apparatus for removing stockings from stocking forms after they have been dried or singed thereon.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with a stocking drier and is shown in connection with a steam heated drier of the type fully set forth and claimed in the patent granted to us on the 29th day of September 1914 and numbered1,112,329.

This invention is a companion to the application for patent for a machine for removing stockings from forms, which was filed by us on the 14th day of May, 1913, Serial Number 767,649, which resulted in Patent No. 1,126,619, dated January 26th, 1915.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation illustrating our improved device for removing stockings from stocking forms in connection with a drying apparatus; Fig. 2 is an end view; Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view illustrating the form of drier used; Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the gripping mechanism; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line aa, Fig. 5; Fig. 7 isa sectional view on the line bb, Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line c-c, Fig. 2; Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line dcZ, Fig. 3; Fig. 10 is a detached view showing the mechanism for intermittently operating the conveyer; and Fig. 11 is a detached perspective view of the cam for operating the arm which places a stocking on the conveyer. 7

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a drying chamber, of any suitable construction, and in front of this chamber, in the present instance, is a table 2. The table extends under the overhanging portion of the drying chamber, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and in the table is a groove 3 in which thecarriers 4 travel. These carriers are actuated by cams 5 mounted in shafts 6 located in bearings under the table. These shafts are geared Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Serial No. 808,856.

together so that the carriers will travel in an endless path through the slot 3 in the table. The front cams are shaped so that the carriers will dwell a given length of time to allow for the removal of a stocking from the form and to allow the operator to place another stocking on the form. The cams are also shaped to allow the carriers to dwell while the forms, with the stockings thereon, are in the drying chamber. Any suitable drying mechanism may be used for drying the stockings while they are on the forms and, in fact, any suitable means may be employed for conveying the carriers on which the forms are mounted, as the present invention relates to the means for removing the stockings from the forms.

The forms 7 are shaped, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and are secured to clamp heads 8 which have spindles 9 arranged to swivel in the bearings 10 mounted on the carriers 4. The mechanism at each end of the table 2 turns the forms so that they will enter and leave the slots 11 and 12 respectively on edge and will travel in front of the operator with one side facing the operator, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

On the right hand end cam shaft 6 are three cams 13, 14, and 15. These cams control the rods 16, 17 and 18 respectively. Each of these rods has a rack 19 at its upper end which meshes with a pinion 20 carrying a bevel gear wheel, the pinions being loose on the shaft 21, as clearly shown in Fig. 10.

On each pinion 20 is a bevel gear wheel.

The three bevel gear wheels are numbered respectively 22, 23, and 24, and mesh with bevel wheels 25, 26, and 27, respectively. The bevel wheel is mounted on a hollow inclined shaft 28. The bevel wheel 26 is mounted on a hollow inclined shaft 29, which extends through the shaft 28, and the bevel wheel 27 is mounted on an inclined shaft 30 extending through the shaft 29, Fig. 8. These shafts are supported by a standard 31 mounted on the frame of the machine. On the end of the shaft 28, opposite the bevel wheel 25, is an arm 32. On theshaft 29 is an arm 33 and on the shaft 30 is an arm 34. The arm 32, in the present instance, consists of a long sleeve and two parallel rods which extend to a head 35 and this head turnsbodily with the shaft 28 when the said shaft is turned. This action removesa stocking from a form, as will V which are connected by links to arms 49 and 50 respectively, carrying the movable jaws 51' be described hereinafter. V

The arm 33 is connected by a rod 36 to an arm 37 on a hollow shaft 38 mounted in the head and this shaft carries the two guide rods 39 and 40 on which are mounted the grippers 41 and 42. The arms of the grippers can turn on the head 35 as a center.

Extending through the hollow shaft 38 isa rod 43 connected to one arm of a crank lever 44 pivoted to a bracket on the head 35. The other arm of this lever is connected by a rod 45 to the arm 34 on the shaft 30 and this mechanism actuates the gripping jaws. The rod 43 is connected to an arm 46 on the square rod 40, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 9, and on this rod are two arms 47 and 48,

' "of the clamps 41 and 42. The fixed jaws 52 the cam 14, which controls thismechanismJ This movementcauses the stocking form to are rigidly secured to'the heads 53 and 54 respectively of the clamps 41 and 42 andare' mounted onthe rods 39 and 40.

The clamp 42, in the present instance, is in a fixed position on the rods 39 and 40, while the clamp v41 is free to move toward and from the clamp 42. A spring 55 is connected to the carrying frame which consists of the two bars 39 and 40 and is attachedto the head 53 so that when it is released from the control of the stocking, the head will re: turn to. its normal position against a stop 56. :The purpose of this spring is to allow 7 the toe clamp to move toward the heel as a stocking is withdrawn from a form r We lay no claim to the above described mechanism as it forms the subject of Patent No. 1,126,619, hereinabove referred to.

' The arm 32 travels in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, and the grippers engage the.

toe and the heel of the stocking when the form comes in position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and the first movement, when the arm 32 commences to move in the direction of the arrow, pulls the heel of the stocking, while the toe is partly pulled, and the toe clamp moves toward the heel against the tension of thespring until the ankle portion'of the stocking passes the heel of the form, after which thetoe clamp will be drawn away ffromthe, heel by the tension of the'spring.

During'thismovement the rods3 9 and 46, carrying the clamps, are moved in the d1 rect ion of the arrow, Fig. 1, by the action of act as a presser for the stockingso that,

' when a stocking is removed from a form, it

isspread. and all wrinkles will be-removed, leaving the stocking in a'perfectly flat con dition.

It willbe noticed that the stocking forms are" arranged at an incline on theouter run,

as well as onjthe inner run, and the shafts the form. Consequently, when a stocking is withdrawn from a form it travels in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2.

Extending across the front of the ma-,

chine, directly back of the path of the stocking, is an endless conveyer 57 onto which the stockings are placed by an arm 58 when the stockings reach a certain height and are clear of the stocking forms.

In some instances, instead of a conveyer, a plain bar 7 may be used and the stockings maybe placed, one after the other, on the bar and removed by hand after a certain number of stockings have been placed thereon, but we prefer toprovide automatic mechanism in order to move the conveyer intermittently and thus count the stockings so that they 7 may be placed one on top of another until a 7 half dozen or a dozen are piled together.

The mechanism can be moved forward and another pile formed. and so on. These piles of stockingscan be taken from the end of the conveyer. i I

In the present instance, the conveyer is constructed, as follows: 59 is an endless chain'which passes around sprocket wheels 60 and 61 mounted in bearings in standards 62 and 63, as shown, and carried by this chainis a series of bars 64 onto which the stockings are placed. These bars are of such a length that a number of stockings can be placed, one upon another, on each bar. The

'67 has a notched wheel 68 which is engaged by a'pin on the'notched wheel 68 and this notched wheel isdriven from the. right hand camshaft 6, on which is a disk having 7 a single pin 69, which is arrangedto enter 7 one notch at each "revolution of the cam shaft so that,'at a given intervalythe conveyerwill be moved the widthof a'stocking i when a; given number'of stockings is on a pile.

In order to insure the placing. of astocke mg on the conveyer, we pivot an arm 58 at 70-and 'connectan armj71with along arm- 72 of a lever'73,.which is pivoted at 74 to the side of the machine. The short arm 75 20] l V a cam 77 on the left hand cam shaft 6. -The of this lever has a projection 76 which enters camis' so timedthatwhen the stocking is removed itis raised to suchaheight that when the arm '58'is turned it will engage the stocking the moment;itis released from the jaws ,of'the grip-, causingthe stocking to r, 7 fall onto the endless conveyer 57, thus in: suring theproperpilin'g of the stockings on the conveyer. r

" It will be understood that while we have I 15c sprocket wheel 60 is mounted ona shaft on":

shown our invention as used in conjunction with a particular form of drying apparatus as set forth in the above mentioned Patent No. 1,112,329, other forms of drying apparatus may be used without departing from the essential features of the invention.

The present drying apparatus briefly described consists of the casing 1 having an overhanging portion in which is a longi-' tudinal slot 78 through which the spindle 9 of the carrier extends and in this drying chamber is a series of heating pipes 7 9 and a circulating fan 80 is mounted on a shaft 81, driven in any suitable manner. A partition 82 has an opening in'which the fan is mounted and air is circulated by the fan over the heating pipes and between the stockings on the forms as they travel through the drier.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: When the stocking forms are in the position illustrated at w, Fig. 1, then the operator places a stocking on a stocking form and the cams are so arranged that the forms dwell for a certain length of time in this position to enable the operator to place the stocking on the form and to turn the form so that a stocking is properly located and is smooth on both sides. Then the form, with a stocking thereon, travels to the end of the machine and is turned at right angles and passes through the slot 11 into the drying chamber. It travels in this drying chamber until it is carried out through the slot 12 at the opposite end of the machine and the parts are so timed that the stocking will be dry when it leaves the drying chamber. The form is then moved to the position y, Fig. 1, and as it comes into this position the toe and the heel travel between the open jaws of the grips 41 and 42. These grips close immediately and the stocking is drawn off'of the stocking form in the manner previously described by the mechanism which actuates the grips and the carriers. As a stocking is removed from the form, the arm 58, carries the stocking over the conveyer 57 as the grips release it, and one stocking after another is piled onto the conveyer and, as this conveyer moves intermittently, any number of stockings can be placed in a single pile. 'As'thestockings are piled, the piles are moved to one end of the machine where they are removed by an operator.

We claim: r

1. The combination in apparatus for removing stockings from forms, of a carrier; a form thereon; gripping mechanism arranged to engage the foot only of a stocking; and means for moving said gripping mechanism away from the carrier and form so that the stocking will be removed from the form without wrinkling.

2. The combination of a carrier; means for intermittently moving the carrier; a

stocking form mounted on the carrier; gripping mechanism for engaging the toe and heel only of the stocking; means timed by the movement of the carrier for moving the gripping mechanism so that when the form is at rest the stocking will be withdrawn from the form by the gripping mechanism without rumpling.

3. The combination in means for removing stockings from forms, of a form; means for traversing the form; a pivoted arm; gripping mechanism carried by the arm for engaging a stocking on the form; means for actuating the jaws of the gripping mechanism and for actuating the arm; means for supporting the stocking, after it has been removed from the form, so located as to receive the stocking as it is withdrawn from the form and released from the gripping mechanism.

1. The combination in means for removing stockings from forms, of a table; a carrier arranged to travel in an endless path in the table; means for traversing the carrier; a stocking form mounted on the carrier; gripping mechanism for engaging the toe and heel of a stocking; means carrying the gripping mechanism; an endless conveyer arranged back of the path of the gripping mechanism to receive the stocking; and an arm located so that when it is actuated it will carry the stocking as it is released by the gripping mechanism and place it on the conveyer.

5. The combination of a table; carriers arranged to travel over the table; means for traversing the carriers; a stocking form mounted in each carrier; gripping mechanism arranged to engage the heel and toe of a stocking; an arm carrying the said mechanism; means for actuating the arm and the gripping mechanism so as to cause the mechanism to engage a stocking on a form and to remove it therefrom; an intermittently moving conveyer onto which the stockings are placed; and means for intermittently moving the conveyer at intervals so that a certainnumber of stockings can be piled, one on top of another, and the conveyer intermittently moved so as to receive another pile.

6. The combination of a set of carriers arranged to travel over the table; a stocking form mounted on each carrier; the stocking forms being arranged at an angle with respect to the table; removing mechanism, also arranged at an angle, having grips which engage a stocking at the foot; and a conveyer arranged back of the line of movement of the removing mechanism so as to allow a stocking to be placed on the carrier after it has been removed from the form.

7. The combination in means for removing stockings from forms, of a series of carriers; forms thereon; means for moving said forms; a pivoted arm carrying gripping mechanism for engaging the foot portion of f a stocking; an endless conveyer consisting of achain having bars thereon; means for intermittently moving the chaln', and an 7 arm engaging the stocking after it'has been removed from the form so that when the stocking is released the arm will carry the stocking to the conveyer.

8. The comb'nation of a table having an endlessslot therein; a series of carriers ar- 7 the carriers; a stocking form pivotally ranged to travel in the slot; cams actuating mounted on the carrier; a heating chamber overhanging the rear slot of the table; the rear portion of the slot being located under the overhanging portion of the drying chamber so that the stocking forms will travel through the drying chamberwhile at the rear of the table, the forms being ar- Oopiei of this patent may be obtained for ranged at an angle while the carriers are traversing the forward and rear portions'o-f the slot; means for allowingthe stocking grippingmechanism having grips arranged to engage the toe and foot portlon of a stocking whlle the stockmgform 1s at rest;

' form to dwell at the front of the machine;

and means for actuating thefgripping mech- V anis'm to remove a stocking from one form while another stocking form is at rest to enable the operator to place; a stocking w thereon.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribin' vwitnesses. j

H RRY COULSTON.

' WALTER M5 SCHWARTZ. I

Witnesses: V 1 Jos. H. KLEI WM. A. BAnR. 

